Optical System, and Method for Identifying Fluid Through Said System

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technological field of optical systems and refers to a device for identifying, at least one fluid, especially, fuel fluids in vehicle tanks. The device in question includes an optical guide having interaction surfaces and an emitter element emitting light beams and at least one receiving element of light beams. The information received from the receiving element includes the reflection emitted by interaction surfaces which are at the submersed region of the optical guide and indicates the type of fluid stored in the reservoir—for example: ethanol, gasoline or a mix of both. The interaction surfaces are inclined at different angles to provide total reflection for fluids with a different refractive index, including blends of fluids, to allow determination of the type of fluids according to the reflection by the interaction surfaces.

1 . Optic system for identifying at least one type of fluid, in which said system comprises at least on optical guide cooperating with at least one emitter element of at least one light beam and at least one receiving element of light beams, in which said optical guide comprises a recipient having interaction surfaces conforming at least one optic path for the light beams, characterized in that:
 said interaction surfaces are inclined based on at least one angle α;   interaction surfaces inclined based to at least one α angle reflecting the light beams coming from the emitter element for the receiving element on the optical guide region that is submerse on the fluid of said reservoir; and   the information get from the receiving element coming from the reflection emitted by the interaction surfaces inclined based on at least one angle α of the submerse region of the optical guide indicating the type of fluid.   
     
     
         2 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that comprises at least one optic system cooperating with the emitter element of light beams, said optic system constituted by at least one collimator lenses cooperating or not with at least one diffusor. 
     
     
         3 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the emitter element output a light beam, or several light beams simultaneously. 
     
     
         4 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the emitter element output a single light beam, or a plurality of light beams continuously. 
     
     
         5 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the emitter element output a single light beam, or a plurality of light beams in predetermined regular intervals. 
     
     
         6 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the sensor element detects a plurality of light beams simultaneously. 
     
     
         7 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the emitter element comprises an emitter of at least one among LED (light emitting diode), lased and Oled. 
     
     
         8 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the emitter element cooperates with an optic fiber system or the like. 
     
     
         9 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that an interaction surface inclined based on an angle indicated light beam reflection immerse on a first type of fluid. 
     
     
         10 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that an interaction surface inclined based on an angle indicates light beam reflection immerse on a second type of fluid. 
     
     
         11 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that an interaction surface inclined based on an angle indicates light beam reflection immerse on a third type of fluid. 
     
     
         12 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that an interaction surface inclined based on an angle indicates light beam reflection immerse on a type of fluid having a blend of several types of fluid. 
     
     
         13 . System, according to  claim 8 , characterized in that the type of fluid comprises at least one among gasoline, ethanol, diesel, vehicles natural gas or a blend of them. 
     
     
         14 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the interaction surfaces of each one of the steps of the substantially inclined face are coplanar and define at least one optic path for the at least one light beam between the emitter element and the receiving element. 
     
     
         15 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the emitter element and the receiving element of light beams are disposed parallel on the optical guide. 
     
     
         16 . System, according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the receiving element comprises at least one among the photocell type electronic sensor, photodiode, phototransistor, LDR (light dependent resistor), photovoltaic cell, photoconductor, or other light capturing means. 
     
     
         17 . Method for identifying fluid, characterized in that it uses an optic system according to  claim 1  and comprises the following steps:
 output at least one light beam by the optical guide; 
 detect at least part of the light beam reflected by an interaction surface in submerse condition; and 
 identify the types of fluid stored by the identification of angle α of interaction surfaces that had at least part of the light beam reflected and read by the receiving element. 
 
     
     
         18 . Method, according to  claim 18 , characterized in that the refraction index of, at least, one fluid in liquid or gas form defines the critical angle for light beam reflection in an interaction surface in submerse condition. 
     
     
         19 . Method, according to  claim 18 , characterized in that the light beam is composed of visible light, infrared light or any radiation spectrum.